Indian Audit and Accounts Department

Courseware on Various entitlements admissible to a Government servant

Session 2.4: Joining Time and Leave Travel Concession

SESSION OVERVIEW
In Government service, an
employee is duty bound to serve the
Government at the place wherever he
is posted (subject to certain conditions
applicable to different cadre in respect
of transfers). While serving the
Government, a Government servant
may undergo movement from one post
to another either within the same
station or to another station to take up
duties of a new post or in consequence
of change of his headquarters. Under
these circumstances, the employee
requires certain time to affect the
transit, in case change of station is
involved; or to understand the location
of his new office if in the same station.
This time period is referred as Joining
Time which, subject to certain
limitations, is granted to the employee.
The eligibility conditions and the
time limit of the Joining Time is
governed by Central Civil Services
(Joining Time) Rules, 1979. The
salient features of the Rules will be
dealt in detail in this session.
In addition to this, discussion
will also be made on the travel
concession available to a Government
servant. The Leave Travel Concession
(LTC) admissible to the Central
Government Civilian employees other
than Railway employees was originally
introduced in 1956.
On the recommendations of the
3 Pay Commission, the scope of the
concession was enlarged and the LTC
as it stands today consists of two
schemes: (i) Home Travel Concession;
and (ii) All India Travel Concession.
rd

Note 2.4

Under the first The Home Town

LTC admissible in a block of two years
helps the government servants to
perform their important social and
family obligations at their hometown.
The concession to visit any place
in India once in a block of 4 years
which is admissible to government
servants and their family members, is
of recreational, educational, and
cultural value and it also promotes
social integration. Taking off from the
work place for visiting other places of
interest not only improves the quality
of life of the government employees
but it also helps them in discharging
their official responsibilities with
renewed vigour.

LEARNING OBJECTIVESs
In the session the participants
will be informed about

Various rules of CCS (JT)

Rules, 1979.
Admissibility and terms and
conditions in making claim of
Joining Time.
Limitations of Joining Time
subject to the distances
between the headquarters and
the new place of posting.
Leave
Travel
Concession
(LTC).
Admissibility of LTC.
Types of LTC Home town &
Any place in India.
Concept of Block Year for
HTC and All India LTC.
Procedure of drawing advance/
reimbursement of LTC.

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Indian Audit and Accounts Department

Courseware on Various entitlements admissible to a Government servant
Session 2.4: Joining Time and Leave Travel Concession

A.

JOINING TIME

1.

Definition

(iii)

To officials discharged due

to
reduction
of
establishment in one office
and appointed in another
office if the orders are
received while working in
the old post. If they are
appointed to the new posts
after discharge, the period
of break may be treated as
joining time without pay, if
it does not exceed 30 days,
and the officials concerned
have rendered not less than
3 years, continuous service.
[Rule 4(3)]

(iv)

Once in a calendar year,

while proceeding on leave
from a place in a remote
locality or to a place in a
remote locality.

(v)

Once in a calendar year,

while returning from leave
from a place in a remote
locality or to a place in a
remote locality.

(vi)

Once in a calendar year, to

officials domiciled in the
Union
Territories
of
Andaman and Nicobar
Islands, lakshadweep, while
proceeding on leave to their
home town in another
island on the UT and
returning from home town.
[GOI (1)]

Joining Time, in short JT, is

defined in Rule 3 of the CCS (Joining
Time) Rules, 1979; to mean the time
allowed to a Government servant in
which to join a new post or to travel to
a station to which the employee is
posted.
2.

Admissibility

Joining time shall be granted to a

Government servant to join on transfer
in public interest, a new post either at
the same station or a new station.
[Rule 4 (1)]
2.1

Admissible
(i)

(ii)

Note 2.4

To permanent/ temporary
employees and permanent/
provisionally
permanent
State
Government
employees on appointment
on the results of a
competitive examination/
interview
open
to
Government servants and
others, (however, joining
time pay will not be
admissible to temporary
Central
Government
employees who have not
completed 3 years of
regular continuous service).
[Rule 4(4)]
To surplus staff transferred
from one post to another
under
the
Scheme
regulating redeployment of
surplus staff.
[Rule 4(2)]

2.2
Not admissibleJoining
time is not admissible on temporary
transfer but only actual transit time, as
on tour, is admissible.
[Rule 4 (1)]

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Indian Audit and Accounts Department

Courseware on Various entitlements admissible to a Government servant
Session 2.4: Joining Time and Leave Travel Concession

3.

Time limit of Joining Time

3.1 Same Station One day is

admissible on transfer to join a new
post within the same station or in
another station which does not involve
change of residence. Same Station
means the area within the same
municipality or corporation, and its
contiguous suburban municipalities,
notified areas or cantonments.
[Rule 5 (3)]
3.2

Distance
between the
old and the
new
Headquarters

One station to another

(i)

One day is admissible if

change of residence is not
involved.

(ii)

If change of residence is
involved, joining time will
be
admissible
with
reference to the distance
between the old and the
new stations by direct route
and ordinary mode(s) of
travel. The time limit of
joining time will be as
follows.

Joining
time
admissible

1,000 Km or 10 days
less
More
than
1,000
Km 12 days
and up to
2,000 Km
More
than 15 days*
2,000 Km

Note 2.4

Joining time admissible where

the transfer necessarily involves
continuous travel by road for
more than 200 Km

* In cases of travel by air, the maximum

joining time admissible is 12 days. [Rule 5
(4)]

3.3
In the cases of stations in a
remote locality, additional days of
joining time over and above the
number of days indicated in the above
table will be granted.
[Rule 5(5) GOI (1)]
3.4 Actual and not weighted distance
Distance should be calculated on
actual basis and not on the weighted
one for which fare is charged by the
Railways in some sections.
[Note below Rule 5 (4)]
3.5

Holidays

When holiday(s) follow(s) joining

time, the normal joining time shall be
deemed to have been extended to cover
such holiday(s).
[Rule 5(4)]
3.6
Calculation
from
old
Headquarters To be calculated
from the old headquarters in all cases,
including
(i)

where an employee receives

the orders in a place other
then his Headquarters.

(ii)

Where charge of the old post

is made over in a place
other than HQ.

(iii)

Where the HQs is changed

while on tour to the station
of the tour itself; and

12 days

15 days

15 days

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Indian Audit and Accounts Department

Courseware on Various entitlements admissible to a Government servant
Session 2.4: Joining Time and Leave Travel Concession

(iv)

4.

Where the temporary transfer

is converted into permanent
transfer.
[Rule 5 (2)]

Extension of joining time

4.1
Extension of joining time can be
granted up to a maximum of 30 days
by heads of Departments and beyond
30 days by the Departments of
Government of India, based on the
guiding principle that the total should
be approximately equal to 8 days for
preparation plus reasonable transit time
plus holidays, if any following.
[Rule 5 (5)]
5. Unavailed Joining Time to be
credited to Earned Leave
5.1 If an employee is ordered to join
the new post at a new place of posting
without availing full joining time to
which he is entitled or he proceeds
alone to the new place and joins
without availing full joining time and
takes his family later within the
permissible period for claiming
transfer T.A., the unavailed period (full
joining time limited to a maximum of
15 days minus availed joining time),
will be credited to his earned leave
account. If the addition results in the
total Earned Leave at credit exceeding
300 days, the excess will be ignored.
This concession is not admissible for
transfer in the same station.
[Rule 6 (1) and GIO (6)]
6.

Combination with leave/ vacation

6.1 Joining time may be combined

with vacation or leave of any kind or
duration except casual leave.
[Rule 6 (2)]

Note 2.4

7.

Second transfer while in transit

7.1 An employee in transit on transfer

directed to proceed to a place different
from that indicated in the original
transfer orders, shall be entitled to
fresh joining time in addition to the
joining time already availed. The fresh
joining time will be calculated from
the place at which he got the revised
orders to the new place of posting.
[Rule 6 (3)]
8.

Salary during Joining Time

8.1 Joining Time Pay Joining

time is regarded as duty and pay equal
to the pay drawn before relinquishment
of charge in the old post is admissible
during joining time. In addition,
Dearness Allowance appropriate to the
pay, and House Rent Allowance and
City Compensatory Allowance as
applicable to the old headquarters, is
admissible.
[Rule 7]
8.2 Joining Time Increment
(i)

Joining time will count for

increment
in
the
substantive post and the
post for which pay is paid
during that period.
[FR 26 (e)]

(ii)

Joining time in continuation

of
leave
counts
for
increments in time-scale
applicable to the post/ posts
on which the last day of
leave
before
commencement of joining
time counts for increments.
[FR 26 (e) (ii)]

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Indian Audit and Accounts Department

Courseware on Various entitlements admissible to a Government servant
Session 2.4: Joining Time and Leave Travel Concession

(ii)

(iii)
Journey period availed on
transfer at ones own request not
regularised as leave is treated as dies
non and does not count for increment,
leave or pension.
[AI (7), FR 26]
9.

Miscellaneous

However, officials posted to

their station of choice after
completion of full tenure
will be entitled to joining
time.
[OM dated 18-12-1995]

10. Overstay of Joining Time Period

9.1
When transfer is cancelledWhen the order of transfer is cancelled
after the employee has handed over
charge of the old post but before taking
over charge of the new post, the period
intervening between the dates of
handing over and taking over is treated
as joining time.
[C & AG D (1)]

10.1
If a Government servant
overstays the Joining Time period he
will have to regularise the period of
overstay as leave on his own account.
In the event of not regularising the
overstay, the period will be treated as
dies non and will not count for
increment, leave or pension.

9.2

B.
LEAVE
CONCESSION

Transfer on own request

(i)

Note 2.4

No joining time is admissible

when transfer is requested
by the official. Regular
leave may be availed of to
cover the period from the
date of relinquishing the
charge of the old post to the
date of assumption of
charge of the new post. If,
however,
holiday(s)
intervene(s) between the
date of relief at the old
station and joining at the
new station, the intervening
holidays may be availed as
holidays
and
the
employee need not take any
leave for such period. The
pay for the period so
availed will be borne by the
Department/ Office where
the official joins after
transfer.
[GOI (7), Appendix-10]

1.

TRAVEL

General

1.1
The Leave Travel Concession
(LTC) admissible to the Central
Government Civilian employees other
than Railway employees was originally
introduced in 1956 as a measure of
assistance to government servants
working at considerable distances
away from their home towns to visit
their home town in a block of 2 years
with employees bearing the cost of the
first 400 Kms. of the journey
(160Kms. in the case of Class IV
employees).
1.2

Definition

Concession admissible to a
Government servant to meet expenses
of journey for self and family when on
leave to home town; or; and any place
in India.

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Indian Audit and Accounts Department

Courseware on Various entitlements admissible to a Government servant
Session 2.4: Joining Time and Leave Travel Concession

2.

the family of the spouse,

cannot claim independently
for self.

Eligibility

2.1
Any employee who has
completed one year of continuous
service on the date of journey
performed by him/ his family is
eligible.
Example: An official appointed on 3112-2000 will be eligible for the two
year block 2000-01, but those
appointed on or after 1-1-2001, will
not be eligible for that block.

2.5 Government servants whose

spouses are working in Indian
Railways and National Airlines are not
eligible for LTC facility.
[OM dated 20-10-1997]
3.

Definition of family for LTC

3.1

Family includes-

2.2 Period of unauthorized absence, if

any, declared as such under FR 17-A,
will be treated as break in service for
calculating the continuous periods of
service, unless the break is condoned
by the competent authority.

(i)

Wife/ husband, as the case

may be, only one wife is
included in the definition.

(ii)

Two surviving children or

step children

2.3 If an official is under suspension,

the concession is admissible only to his
family members.

(iii)

Parents, stepmother, sisters

and brothers.

(iv)

Married daughters who have

been divorced abandoned or
separated
from
their
husbands.

(v)

Widowed sisters provided

their father is not alive or is
himself dependent on the
Government servant.

2.4 When both husband and wife are

Central Government servants(i)

(ii)

(iii)

(iv)

Note 2.4

They can declare separate

home towns independently.
They can claim LTC for
their respective families,
viz., while the husband can
claim for his parents/ minor
brothers/ sisters, the wife
can claim for her parents/
minor brothers and sisters.
The children can claim the
concession as members of
family of any of the parents
in a particular block.
The husband or wife who
avails LTC as a member of

4.

Salient Points

4.1 Concession can be availed of self

and family separately on different
occasions, even in different calendar
years of the same block.
4.2 Family can travel in one or more
groups, but each group should
complete its return journey within six
months from the date of its outward
journey.

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Indian Audit and Accounts Department

Courseware on Various entitlements admissible to a Government servant
Session 2.4: Joining Time and Leave Travel Concession

4.3 Circular tour tickets can be availed

of in conjunction with the leave and
special casual leave.
4.4
Can be availed of during any
leave including study leave, casual
leave and special casual leave. While
on study leave the entitlements will be
as under :
(i)

Family
staying
Government servant-

with

From place of study to

home town limited to
admissibility
from
headquarters to home town.
(ii)

Family staying away from

Government servantNormal
home
entitlement.

4.5
tour.

town

Can be combined with transfer/

4.6
Cannot be availed of during
closed holidays only, without taking
any leave.
4.7 Carry forward Concession for
one block can be carried forward to the
first year of the next block, i.e., the
outward journey for 2000-01 block can
be performed up to 31-12-2002.
Employees entitled to LTC to home
town for self alone every year cannot
carry forward the concession.
5.

Entitlements

5.1

Journey by Air/ Rail

Note 2.4

Pay Range Rs 18,400 and above Air

Economy (Y) Class by National
Carrier.

Pay Range

Shatabdi
Express
Executive
Class

Rajdhani
Express
AC First
Class

Other
Trains
AC First
Class

Rs
8,00016,399

AC Chair
Car

AC 2-tier

AC 2-tier

Rs
4,1007,999

AC Chair
Car

AC chair
Car

First
Class/ AC
3-tier/ AC
Chair Car

Below 4,100

Not
entitled

Not
entitled

Sleeper
Class

Rs 16,400

Note : Entitlements by the trains would

be applicable in cases where journey is
actually performed by the above trains
and not for determining entitlement on
notional basis.
5.2
Journey by Sea or by River
Steamer

Pay Range

Rs
8,000
and above

A & N Islands
and
Lakshadweep
Islands
Deluxe Class

Rs 6,5007,999

First / A Cabin
Class

Rs 4,1006,499

Second / B Cabin
Class

Below
4,100

Bunk Class

Others

Highest Class

If there be two
classes only on
the steamer the
lower class
If there be three
classes
the
middle or second
class. If there be
four classes the
third class
The lowest class

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Indian Audit and Accounts Department

Courseware on Various entitlements admissible to a Government servant
Session 2.4: Joining Time and Leave Travel Concession

5.3
Pay
Range
Rs 18,400
and above

Journey by Road

Entitlements

Rs 8,000 18,400

Actual fare by any type of public bus,

including AC-bus OR at prescribed rates for
AC taxi for journeys not connected by rail
Same as above except that journey by AC
taxi is not permissible

Rs 6,500 8,000

Same as at (ii) except that journeys by ACbus not permissible

Rs 4,100
- 6,500

Actual fare by any type of public bus other

than AC-bus OR at prescribed rate for
rickshaw

Below
4,100

As at (iv) above except that claim will be

restricted to the bus fare by ordinary bus

C.
1.

CATEGORIES OF LTC
LTC to Home Town

1.1 In this scheme, the Government

bears the cost of travel of the
employees and their families to their
Home Town and back once in a block
of 2 years.

1.5
An employee (including
unmarried) having his family at his
home town can avail of this concession
for himself alone every year instead of
having it for both self and family once
in two years.
2.

LTC to any place in India

2.1 The second scheme (herein-after

referred to as the All India LTC)
permits the employees and their
families to travel, once in a block of
four years and in lieu of journey to
home town, to any part of the country
without any ceiling on distance. The
reimbursement on LTC is restricted to
travel to the declared place of visit by
the
shortest
direct
route
by
rail/road/steamer according to the
entitled class.
2.2

Scope

(i)

This concession is admissible

in lieu of one of the two
journeys to home town in a
block of four years. The
current block is 2002-05. The
last date for commencement
of the outward journey is 3112-2006 (this includes the
grace period of one year).

(ii)

Available for travel to any

place in India mainland or
overseas
including
employees home town.

(iii)

Officials
availing LTC to
home town for self alone once
every year are not entitled to
LTC to anywhere in India.

1.2 It
is admissible to
all
employees irrespective of the distance
between headquarters and home town.
1.3
Home town once declared is
treated as final. In exceptional
circumstances, the Head of the
Department may authorize a change,
only once during entire service.
1.4
Admissible once in a block of
two calendar years. The blocks are
2002-03, 2004-05 and so on. The
current block is 2004-05.

Note 2.4

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Indian Audit and Accounts Department

Courseware on Various entitlements admissible to a Government servant
Session 2.4: Joining Time and Leave Travel Concession

2.3
Conditions - Intended place of
visit should be declared by the official
to the Controlling Authority in
advance. Any change in the declared
place of visit should be intimated to the
authority. Other conditions as stated in
Salient features to apply to the claim
of concession

family does not exceed 90 days.

Otherwise it should be drawn only for
the outward journey.

2.4 Carry Forward - Concession not

availed in a block of four years can be
carried forward to the first year of the
next four year block.

1.3
When advance is taken, the
claim should be submitted within one
month from the date of return journey.
If not, outstanding advance will be
recovered in one lumpsum and the
claim will be treated as one where no
advance is sanctioned. Penal interest at
14% on the entire advance from the
date of drawal to the date of recovery
will be charged.

ILLUSTRATION
Suppose an official is entitled to
two concessions during the two blocks
of 1998-99 and 2000-01.
1. In respect of 1998-99, he can avail
the concession to home town before
the grace period, i.e., by 31-12-192000. Then he is entitles to C/F his
LTC to anywhere in India to be availed
before the grace period, i.e., by 31-122002.
2.
In the above case, suppose the
official avails of LTC to home town
after 31-12-2000. This will be debited
against the block 2000-01 and hence
he will not be entitled to anywhere in
India LTC. In this case, he will lose
his entitlement for 1998-99 by not
availing it before the grace period.

B-2.

ADVANCE OF LTC

1.
Terms and conditions when
advance is taken
1.1 Up to 90% of the fare can be
taken as advance. Advance admissible
for both outward and return journeys if
the leave taken by the official or the
anticipated absence of members of

Note 2.4

1.2
The official should furnish
railway ticket numbers, etc., to the
Competent Authority within ten days
of drawal of advance.

2.

When advance is not taken

2.1 Claim should be submitted within

three months from the completion of
return journey. Otherwise the claim
will be forfeited.

CASE STUDY ON LTC CLAIM

Particulars are taken of a higher pay
range to understand the journey by air
and road.
Shri. X a Senior employee of
Audit Department at Bangalore was
permitted to avail choice station LTC
for the Block years 1998-2001 to
"AGRA" in respect of himself, wife,
son(19), son(16) and mother(69). He
was in receipt of Rs.18,650/- as Basic
Pay. The permission as well as EL
sanctioned for the journey were
notified in the leave order and the
officer drew a sum of Rs.61,780/- as

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Indian Audit and Accounts Department

Courseware on Various entitlements admissible to a Government servant
Session 2.4: Joining Time and Leave Travel Concession

LTC advance for the proposed journey

to "AGRA".

Department of Tourism and operates

regular services from Delhi to Agra.

The officer submitted adjustment claim

as under:

As a dealing person in the

Administrative section of the Office,
the claim will be regulated as under,
keeping in view the LTC rules and
commenting on the following aspects:-

IA (Economy class) fares Bangalore

Delhi Bangalore
@ Rs.14,010 per ticket x 5 = 70,050
AC Bus fares by "Panickers
Travels" Delhi-Agra-Delhi
@ Rs.350 per head x 4
=
(self, wife, 2 sons)
TOTAL
Less: Advance
Balance due

Entitlement and also the

corrections of the Air fares
claimed.

b)

Admissibility of Bus fares for

travel by a private tourist bus
that too Air conditioned class

c)

Each members LTC eligibility

in this case

1,400

71,450
61,780
9,670

The claim was supported by original

tickets.
During the course of Audit of the
claim, following observations were
made:1. Why the Bus fare was claimed for 4
persons only?
2. Journeys by private tourist buses are
not reimbursable.
In reply, the officer submitted
that after reaching Delhi, his mother
who was 69 years old, suddenly fell
sick and hence could not undertake
journey to Agra. As such the rest of the
4 family members only visited Agra
and accordingly fares for 4 persons
only were claimed for the journey from
Delhi to Agra and back. As regards
travel by private tourist bus, the officer
stated that "M/s Panickers Travels"
are tour operators & travel agents
recognised by Govt. of India,

Note 2.4

a)

ILLUSTRATION
Entitlement of the Officer for
Journey by Air
Pay
range
Rs
18,400

Entitlement
Air Economy class by
National Carrier or AC First
Class

As the basic pay of the officer is above

the given limit he is entitled to fly and
also can claim air fare for his family
also.
Journey by Road:
Pay
range
Rs
18,400

Entitlement
Actual fare by any type of
public bus, including air
conditioned bus

The leave Travel concession is not

admissible for journey by a private car

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Indian Audit and Accounts Department

Courseware on Various entitlements admissible to a Government servant
Session 2.4: Joining Time and Leave Travel Concession

(owned, borrowed or hired) or a bus,

van or other vehicle owned or operated
or chartered by private operators.
However, travel by private buses
operating as regular service from point
to point at regular intervals on fixed
fare rates with the approval of
Regional Transport Authority / State
Govt. concerned, is admissible.
Similarly, journeys by chartered buses
are admissible for LTC only in those
cases, where the tour is wholly
operated and conducted by the Indian
Tourism Development Corporation
(ITDC/State Tourism Development
Cooperation (STDCs) either by their
own buses or buses taken on hire from
outside. In such cases, it is to be
clearly certified by the ITDC / State
Tourism Development Corporations
concerned that the tour was actually
conducted / operated by them and not
by any private party / person. [DOP&T
OM NO: 32011/4/97-Estt(A) dated
9.2.1998]

submitting correct claims and will help

in preventing misuse of the concession
by the participant employees.

The bus fare claimed by the officer is

also admissible in the light of above.

SUMMARY
At the end of the session
participants will understand the
admissibility of Joining Time and the
circumstances under which it can be
taken and the period subject to the
distance of travel involved in a given
case. They will also have a better
understanding of the Rules of
concession available during leave
travel and the finer points which
should be kept in mind for making
claim for the concession. The
condition of charging of interest on
fraudulent claims will instil sense of

Note 2.4

222